“What… What did you say?!” Vera’s casually spoken words made Charlie feel like his whole body had gone numb. This was not an exaggeration. He genuinely felt a tingling sensation from his scalp to his toes!Vera claimed that she had witnessed the Mother of Pu’er Tea failing to overcome calamity by the Heavenly Lake three hundred years ago. Did that mean she was now over three hundred years old?! Charlie couldn't believe Vera’s statement at first. After all, even if a person truly found the path to longevity, it was usually a gradual process. People might start cultivating in one's twenties or thirties, but it was often possible for cultivation to take place around the age of fifty or sixty, or even older. As one’s cultivation deepened, one’s lifespan would extend, but even a cultivator over a hundred years old, like the great earl from Qing Eliminating Society, retained the appearance of a man at around sixty years old.If Vera was truly over three hundred years old, she should
Charlie subconsciously asked Vera, “Did you paint this painting?”Vera nodded and said, “I painted this a few days ago. I painted it especially for you, Young Master.”Charlie could not help but feel amazed. He never expected Vera to have such extraordinary painting skills. Just a while ago, his father-in-law had mentioned an art exhibition organized by the Calligraphy and Painting Association, and he was struggling to find good works. If Charlie brought this painting there, it might cause a sensation among landscape painters nationwide!Vera suddenly grabbed Charlie’s right hand, which was adorned with a ring, and intertwined her fingers with his. She then said with an expectant expression, “Young Master, dare I suggest taking you to witness its appearance three hundred years ago with your own eyes?”With that said, the ring, which had been silent all this time, seemed to understand Vera’s words and released a bit of Reiki directly toward both of their minds.In the next moment,
When Vera’s figure disappeared on a mountaintop, Charlie’s awareness instantly returned from the deep mountains of southern Yorkshire Hill to reality.The moment he opened his eyes, he fully believed Vera’s words. He believed that this girl had lived from three hundred years ago until now. At this moment, he finally realized why he had always felt that Vera was extraordinary but could never quite grasp what the issue was.At seventeen or eighteen, she was proficient in the near-divine art of divination that even someone like Chandler couldn't master at a hundred years old.At seventeen or eighteen, she was relentlessly pursued by the Qing Eliminating Society. If the Qing Eliminating Society had been hunting her down for five years, wouldn't she have been engaging in a battle of wits with them since she was twelve years old?Similarly, at the age of seventeen or eighteen, she mysteriously appeared in Aurous Hill shortly after parting ways with him in Northern Europe, appearing befor
Vera chuckled, folded her hands gracefully at one side of her waist, and bowed slightly to Charlie. She said respectfully, “Young Master, you don’t need to address me so respectfully. You can just call me Vera.” Charlie said earnestly, “No, you're almost four hundred years old, so I should address you as my elder…”Vera smiled and said seriously, “In my point of view, I'm just a girl who hasn’t grown up, not an immortal old witch. Although I have indeed lived for nearly four hundred years, I still feel as if I’m just seventeen years old…”“Well…” Charlie found himself in an awkward situation, with two conflicting voices arguing in his mind.One voice said, “She's right. Even though she's lived for almost four hundred years, she has always been a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl.”The other voice argued, “But she's almost four hundred years old! What does four hundred years mean?! You haven't even reached thirty years old this year!”Charlie was afraid of being tangled up in t
“I hastily settled my father down temporarily, and he gave me an unknown pill, instructing me to take it obediently without asking any questions.” “I didn't know the effects of this pill, but I couldn't defy my father's orders. So, I took the pill. After taking it, my father told me what pill it was and its effects.”As she spoke, her eyes reddened, and she said in a soft voice, “As for why my father didn't take it himself but gave me the Eternal Pill, it was because he said he didn't want to witness the day when he, as a father, had to watch me grow old and slowly die before him. My father also said that if there was a pill that allowed a father to live on, watching his daughter gradually age and die, that pill is not an elixir but a poison.”“My father said he had to die before me to be at peace, and since I was still young, unmarried, and had no worries, after taking the Eternal Pill, I could live well for five hundred years.”Charlie suddenly thought of something and blurted o
When he heard the name ‘Fleur Wiley’, Charlie widened his eyes in shock and asked, “The leader of the Qing Eliminating Society is a woman?”Vera nodded, clenched her teeth, and said, “She’s not only a woman, but she’s the most ruthless woman in the world!”Charlie asked in surprise, “If she’s your father’s sworn brother’s sister, doesn’t that mean that she has also lived for three to four hundred years as well?”Vera pondered for a moment and said, “Fleur is one year younger than my father, and she’s twenty-three years older than me. She is already four hundred years old now.”Charlie said, “She should have taken the Eternal Pill as well, right?”“Of course,” Vera said emotionally, “The Eternal Pill was given to my father and Fleur by their master. He originally left one pill to each of them, hoping they could continue the cause of overthrowing the Qing Dynasty. In addition to one Eternal Pill each, their master also entrusted the ring on your hand to my father for safekeeping. Wh
“In the following two years, my father and Fleur recruited some determined patriots who aimed to restore our country. They continuously engaged in battles with the Qing army, but due to their limited strength, they couldn't alter the Qing army's gradual unification.”“In the year 1662, the notorious traitor, Sanguine, killed the king in Yorkshire Hill. My father was filled with sorrow and was extremely aggrieved. He joined forces with Fleur and led the righteous men from the Qing Eliminating Society to assassinate Sanguine. Unfortunately, their mission failed.”“My father and Fleur were pursued by tens of thousands of troops from the Qing army, and with the inland regions already under the Qing army’s control, they decided to flee to Taiwan to seek refuge there in order to continue resisting the Qing army. Unexpectedly, shortly after their departure, news arrived that the Taiwan leader had suddenly passed away. With no other options, they returned to Mount Tason, seeking their master
Vera was startled by the name blurted out by Charlie. Charlie was the one who had been constantly surprised tonight, while she remained calm from the beginning to the end even though she was a little sad when she spoke of her late father. However, when Charlie mentioned the three words ‘Marcius Stark’, Vera was suddenly extremely shocked!She instinctively exclaimed, “How did you know of the master’s real name?! It has been more than three hundred years since he passed away, and he had been cultivating in seclusion on Mount Tason during the thousand years when he was alive. Very few people knew about him even when he was alive…” Charlie couldn't help but sigh and say, “Marcius Stark, whose name was originally Martin, was born in Coleham. After cultivating, he was called the Longevity Master and renamed himself Marcius Stark.”Vera was even more shocked, “Young Master, how did you know so much about my father’s master? My father once said that his master focused almost entirely on
"That would be Ashley Layna Acker," Matilda replied without hesitation. "She was our age, as well as a major investor in Silicon Valley, while we were only starting to get our first clients. It's no exaggeration to say that she's the shining example in many case studies when it comes to business."Pausing, she then continued, "And she used to be your classmate, right? I remember you mentioning that in our conversations before.""Yes," Yolden sighed emotionally. "She was a classmate and the star of our generation."Matilda nodded but soon shook her head, "Wait, weren't we talking about Charlie's car company? What does that have to do with Ashley Acker?" "Here's where I let you in on a secret," Yolden said. "But first, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone except Paul."Matilda nodded without hesitation. "Don't worry—if it's a secret, I won't tell Paul either."Yolden scratched his head. "Actually, Paul should know. We are going to marry soon, and he's my stepson, lega
In fact, the legal department of major enterprises covered many responsibilities, the chief of which concerned intellectual property, which was why veterans were needed to lead.Additionally, Charlie trusted Matilda's accomplishments in the legal field, especially since she had worked in the United States for years.With Curtis Autos' intended expansion worldwide, that meant the legal department should also know the laws of countries abroad, ready to file or respond to lawsuits at any time. After all, competitors may use the law to impede their growth, along with the government applying unfair policies to impede their development and impact on local businesses.Moreover, Charlie considered Paul young and therefore lacking in experience, not to mention that it was not likely he would abandon his family's law firm. As such, the ideal solution was to poach Matilda for now.As for Matilda, she was still in the dark and had no idea what she was in for, asking Charlie in confusion, "Lega
Later, after Charlie told Jeremiah over the phone about the joint venture with the Ackers to establish Curtis Autos, the old man was awash with tears, especially after Charlie told him that it was Keith who suggested it. After all, Curtis was his favorite son whose death he could never really get over. Moreover, he once believed that only his family mourned Curtis while the Ackers never did, and he held a grudge over his son's passing. As such, he was surprised that Keith held such great respect toward his late son and didn't hesitate to say yes when Charlie invited him to Aurous Hill to sign an agreement with the Ackers.Still, Charlie wasn't in a hurry to arrange for a specific time, and he was going to let the Ackers sort out the human resources of Godot Autos over a few days. It still wouldn't be too late by then.Moreover, he was keen to allow the buzz to have time to grow so that the automotive industry would be astounded by the joint project between the Ackers and the Wade
Christian was the first to exclaim in approval, "Yes! Curtis Autos sounds wonderful! It has my vote!""Seconded!" Kaiden nodded, pumping the air with his right fist. "I've looked up to Curtis the most, and I absolutely agree with naming the company after him!"Jaxson was nodding too. "Me too!""Yes!" Lulu chirped.Yolden couldn't help agreeing as well. "Curtis Autos is definitely a good name!"Merlin raised his hand gingerly as well. "Quit it with your flattery already," Keith chuckled, and he turned toward Charlie solemnly. "In the end, Curtis is Charlie's father, and the final decision goes to him!"Charlie's eyes were welling up with tears—his parents had been gone for almost three decades, yet he had never thought of dedicating anything to their memory.As such, Keith's suggestion to use Curtis's name for the car company left him thrilled. After all, wouldn't his father's soul be honored if Curtis Autos rocked the country, maybe even the world?With that in mind, he nodd
Charlie also had to agree that this was an opportunity to formally reconcile the Wades and the Ackers.While he couldn't reveal himself just yet, the Wades and the Ackers had been in-laws for years. Even if they had had a dispute for the longest time, restoring good relations made sense now that the Ackers had come to Oskia, and it wouldn't arouse any suspicion.That was why Charlie agreed to it without hesitation, even making a mental note to invite his paternal grandfather, Jeremiah, to Aurous Hill.The old geezers could meet up and clear the air while deciding on the partnership.Yolden was prepared to resign as a professor as well so that he could help the Ackers and Charlie fully develop their automotive company.With a general direction planned, he asked everyone, "Since we're creating a new brand, has anyone come up with a name?"No one was feeling inspired at that moment, but that was when Lulu, who had been silent throughout, said, "Since Charlie and our family are worki
Neither Charlie nor the Ackers expected Yolden's insight to cover all corners.In fact, it felt like the man had a blueprint ready and was only waiting for the time to put it to use.That was why everyone was immensely approving of Yolden and wanted no other man for the job of CEO.Kaeden smiled, "Well, since everyone has agreed, let's put this to rest as soon as possible—this will be a joint investment between our family and the Wades, and Professor Hart will take the post of CEO. Let's all do our best to make this a good one!"Yolden also made up his mind, deciding that he didn't want to let slip a chance to realize his ambitions. "I'll resign from the university after my honeymoon trip. It probably shouldn't be long, and I can get involved in early preparations via teleconference."Charlie nodded. "Then, we can have Uncle Kaeden stay on schedule while I'll ask the Wades to send a representative over to sign a memorandum for the investment."Keith smiled and nodded. "You should
Charlie hadn't been born and raised in Aurous Hill, but he still started living here at the age of eight and was more attached to this place than Eastcliff.If he was going to take part in this automotive investment with the Ackers, he naturally found Aurous Hill the ideal location.Not only would it create a huge number of jobs for Aurous Hill, but it would also rake in much economic flow for the region.Yolden also nodded at his suggestion. "If the first plant is meant to cover the demand of the entire local market, there's no reason for a coastal plant. Aurous Hill stands at an intersection between the north and the south, so transportation is convenient. It's also killing two birds with one stone, as Mr. Wade is fond of the city."Charlie couldn't help but agree. "I won't lie—Aurous Hill has been good to me, and I hope to give back. Nothing's better than succeeding in that respect."Yolden spread his hands, "Heavy industries are certainly ideal to contribute to Aurous Hill's e
Yolden had actually been researching new energy for a while—in fact, it was when Tesla's first car models were produced.He was passionate about the subject and had his own opinions as well as ambitions, but he was busy teaching, so he couldn't realize any of it.But was this not a golden opportunity tailor-made for him?Seeing that Yolden was clearly interested, Charlie turned toward Kaeden, "Actually, the professor is getting married soon. There's no way we'd split up newlyweds so soon after the wedding, right? So, is it possible to set up base in Aurous Hill instead?""Not a problem!" Kaeden replied without hesitation. "Our family is planning to return to Oskia anyway, and everyone knows about Ashley and Curtis. So, why don't we invest in this enterprise alongside the Wades and have the base set up in Aurous Hill? And then bring Godot under as a subsidiary?"Turning to Yolden, he continued, "By the way, Godot's plant is already in the province—barely 100 miles from Aurous Hill,
Pausing, Yolden continued, "Moreover, the greatest advantage of AI is that it is self-conscious and has the processing power to analyze astronomical proportions of data. As car sales grow, every car owner's driving data will add precious new data to our data vault, and it will be processed by AI for even greater space of imagination."For example, kst's say I experienced a bumpiness along a certain road, and when the sensors pick up on that anomaly, the data will be uploaded to the servers along with images of the road condition in real time. The processing AI module would determine in no time at all that there was damage and label said location on the map, and then forward the data to other vehicles close to that location, sending notifications when they are close enough and providing the appropriate advice for countermeasures."Naturally, the AI can even be refined further so that it immediately warns us to slow down while uploading the data to the servers and informing any cars cl